The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guinea impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Balcelbupixe2x80x99.
The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breeding program during 1997 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new cultivars with numerous, large flowers, excellent basal branching and upright medium growth habit.
The female (seed) parent of xe2x80x98Balcelbupixe2x80x99 was xe2x80x98Mooreaxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,147) characterized by its compact growth habit, pure white flowers and medium green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of xe2x80x98Balcelbupixe2x80x99 was the proprietary Impatiens hawkeri cultivar designated xe2x80x9850-4xe2x80x99 (non-patented) characterized by its compact habit, pink flowers and dark green foliage. xe2x80x98Balcelbupixe2x80x99 was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in December of 1997.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation. The new cultivar was asexually reproduced in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill.
It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:
(a) Exhibits large round blush pink flowers,
(b) Forms dark green foliage,
(c) Exhibits a good basal branching character, and
(d) Exhibits a medium, upright mounded growth habit.
The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to both its female parent xe2x80x98Mooreaxe2x80x99 and Celebration Blush White (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,538). When compared to xe2x80x98Mooreaxe2x80x99 it is found that the new cultivar has larger flowers, smaller leaves, longer internodes and shorter spur. When compared to Celebration Blush White, the new cultivar is more compact, has shorter internodes, smaller leaves and larger flowers of a darker pink color. A detailed comparison can be found in Table A, below.